Episodes from the MAKO
by Xaoir
Summary: How can anyone forget the MAKO? Fun times with that piece, right! Some of the crew remember Shepard through certain incidents revolving around the MAKO. Mostly for humor and good ol' fun. Implied FemShepxGarrus
1. Chapter 1

Episodes from the MAKO

(Juuust for fun, bear with me!)

"So... tell me something, Shepard." Garrus' voice resonated below her; crisp and clean, there was a hint of humor in his rough vocals.

"... What, Garrus?" Blue eyes glared at the turian's legs. She had half a mind to kick him where it hurt, but given that he was fixing the drive shaft of her vehicle, better judgment ruled out the venomous idea. She knew where this was going...

"Do all humans drive poorly, or is it just you?" Garrus didn't wait for a pause as he accepted a wrench from Tali, that bubbly quarian. She knelt now and again to hand him specialized tools, but her primary focus was on repairing a wheel bearing. When he spoke, she held back a muffled chortle.

… Shepard _wasn't_ laughing.

"The hell does that mean, Vakarian? I drive just fine." She sucked in her stomach and raised her posture up by an inch, arms soon crossed over her chest for an intimidating stance- pointless, he could only see her boots from underneath the MAKO.

"Just fine, Commander?" Garrus snorted lowly, which sent Tali in to a fit of laughter.

"If I want to drive over mountain tops, lava beds, _and_ run over the occasional Geth, then damn right – just _fine._"

There was silence between the two of them, aside from the scraping of metal.

"I'd consider that poor-" Garrus began again in between Tali's squeaky laugh.

"I'd consider shutting your mouth if you know what's good for you. I drive, you fix. That's how this relationship works, you know." Shepard felt oddly defensive, yet under the quarian's bursting giggle, she found it evaporating; an idle poke and tease, no harm.

"If I didn't know any better, Commander, I'd say you're _abusing_ my skills in this … relationship." He slid from underneath the MAKO to level a scrutinized stare at the human- who, provoked by this, offered a smug smile.

Sly eyes glanced to Tali; the quarian was doubled over by the tire, her small fingers clutching the rubber for support. Keeping laughter to her suit was hard when the two of them acted like adolescents!

"Tch, something tells me you like the abuse, Vakarian. Who wouldn't, from someone like me?" Shepard gave a toothy grin; she leaned over to return his stare with hands moving to grip angled hips. Ironically, Garrus' eyes tracked the movement- before rebounding up to his commander's face with twitching mandibles. No more than three feet above him, details of her face were starkly pale against the Normandy's artificial lights. Slight panic, overwhelmed with mild nervousness – he's seen vids on human behavior, but never learned anything valuable from them. Was she serious?

"That's not what I meant-"

"Oh? You don't find me attractive?" Shepard's lips forged out a twisted pout at the turian's lack of words. His jaw went slack while throat muscles forced him to take a slow gulp.

"I uh- ah, well..." Garrus' fumbling only made the quarian laugh harder. Shepard's withering gaze remained tact on his face, as if expecting response- _ah, shit..._ "N-no-" A loud clank ensued; Tali dropped the new bearings under fleeting snorts. How the hell could she laugh at something like this? At him? "I mean, ... yes- wait, is this a trick question?"

"No tricks about it. So you _do_ find me attractive?" The pouting lips subsided to a genuine smile.

"Ah... for a human- by... turian standards- … uhm, sure." Was he admitting to something darkly erotic and unforgivable amongst his people? Furthermore, did he honestly find her attractive? Garrus felt his intestines knot.

"Oh, Keelah! She's messing with you, Garrus!" Tali finally cracked; she cradled her stomach with shaking palms and shook her head, the giggling subsiding long enough to hear-

"What-" Equivalent to a human dropping their jaw, mandibles relaxed to give more depth to an open mouth, blank of verbal retort, his head swiveled between Tali and the commander.

"Thank you for honestly answering, Garrus." Shepard's smile turned in to a devious grin; soft wink ensued, she stood to full height and waved dismissively at the two aliens. "You two make it quick, yeah? We're running planetside in an hour." Tali managed to wave a good-bye, but her turian companion irritably glared at her faceless form.

"Why the hell did you go along with her? I don't have a fetish for humans." He snagged an offered tool out of her hand – irritated, annoyed, he couldn't express the meshing feelings overall; exhilarating, … that wasn't normal.

"No, of course not. … But you just admitted that you have a fetish for Shepard." Tali's snickers went silenced over the sound of a power drill; Garrus growled impatiently, but to his friend's surprise, he didn't make a denial.

_Why did you have to die, Shepard? I saw something you didn't see. _

Tali's eyes adjusted to the dim light of Freedom's Progress, the human colony. Anything human reminded her of Shepard, especially vehicles like the MAKO - reliable enough, if you had the right mechanic. Memories surfaced now and again; revisiting the past was reassuring to the quarian, it reminded her that she was alive. Those were times she honestly missed.


	2. Chapter 2

There was little activity to be found on Edolus; brown, dusty winds blew small pebbles against the windshield in a series of dingy patters. Purr of the engine kept Shepard focused over the constant crackling that rang in her ears. Truly, the sound of disturbance never left. So far, things were running smoothly; radars hummed the tune of operation, while the terrain appealed to the MAKO's grinding tires – if only peace of mind lasted for longer than a minute...

"Watch out for the meteorites, Commander!"

A loud crunch followed by bone shaking vibration; vivid reaction came as she twisted the steering wheel right. Close impact with flaming rock, the back end of the six-wheeled vehicle dug at the newly formed crater's edge.

"That was close..." Shepard pounded her heel on the brake to slow her speed.

"Too close. We need to be more careful-"

Wrex had just about enough of Ashley's persistent safety tips. Being the biggest in size (and strongest to endure hard weapon kickback), the krogan mercenary was forced in the back seat to man the cannon and its artillery, should the need arise for dramatic combat. Meaty arms crossed over an exhaling chest; Shepard knew what she was doing, otherwise, he wouldn't be tagging along.

"Ha. We wouldn't **be** here if we were lookin' to be careful." As if this was helpful dialogue, Wrex grinned. The gunnery chief shot him a searing glare.

"Why'd you bring him along, Commander? At least the asari's quiet-" Ashley mumbled low under her breath.

"Both of you, cram it. Pay attention to your monitors." Shepard growled under a frustrated rub to her forehead. Maneuvering in a dust storm wasn't how she wanted to spend the next hour. "I need to know if the winds are going to pick up. We'll be sitting ducks if I can't see where the hell we're going." Gentle acceleration brought her around a rocky slope to a flat piece of land – suspicion dug at her nerves.

"-She brought me along to make the turian jealous, why else?" Wrex ended the commander's statement with a gruff laugh.

"Wrex-" The redhead growled; her hands locked tight on the vibrating wheel.

"What are you talking about? My commander wouldn't bed with a _turian._ Don't be gross, Wrex." Ashley, try as she might, defended Shepard's honor with a disgusted snarl; he laughed loudly – achievement won.

"It's none of your damn business who I bed with, now drop-"

"Turians are ugly, that's for sure. Dunno why she'd waste her time on 'em." Wrex interjected once more. "It's pretty obvious why she chose me: I'm the best lookin'." Four eyes rotated to land on the krogan's marred face; a lipped smirk, he slyly winked at Shepard.

Ashley rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Seriously, _why_ did you bring him, Commander? He's not gonna shut up."

"_Why_ do I even bother?" Shepard muted a sigh. "Wrex, say another word and I'm gonna kick your big ass out-"

"C'mon, that dumb turian follows you around like a newborn whelp, Shepard. Can't deny it." He was getting comfortable; needed something to distract himself from wasting expensive shells on the grand view outside- why not tease the human?

"Ya know, he does have a point. Seems like you guys go out on a lot of missions together. Who knows what happens when we're all not around." Ashley took this as delayed cue from the krogan – of course she couldn't honestly believe there was a connection between leader and agent, that was a preposterous idea!

_For the love of..._ Shepard knew this was going to happen at some point, but why did it have to be now?

"Stop gushing like a bunch of damn school girls. My business, and decisions, are my own. Garrus gets the job done, unlike you two." In a defiant head toss, she turned back to watch the road. Speed was a minimum; half a mind to pound the gas and force her companions to flail in the after shock of velocity-

"Gets the job done, eh?" Wrex took the comment too far, as always, and turned it into sexual innuendo. "Lemme guess, down in your pants, too? I won't question your lack of taste, Shepard. The universe is a cold, empty place – need to find some warmth sometimes." He gave a dismissive shrug.

"Shut up, Wrex!"

"Uagh-"

Shepard and Ashley blurted out nonsensical gibberish; neither of them wanted to imagine the krogan fornicating.

"I'm not gonna repeat myself, _shut_ up-" Shepard's commanding growl was dissolved under shrill beeping. Red lights from all consoles flared to life; something big on the radar, Ashley involuntarily flinched.

"Looks like we got trouble!"

Weight of the MAKO lurched forward; she picked up speed. The left side of the vehicle bounced as something outside the cabin flung it off its path. There was a deafening screech that pierced right through metal; they stumbled on a Thresher Maw next.

"Ah, shit..."

"Taking evasive maneuvers, get ready Wrex!" The commander had been a sole survivor of the horrific blood bath on Akuze; she was a little more than just apprehensive around threshers. Sweat began to bead at her brow, lips felt dry and brittle as they formed a thin line against her teeth. Safety belts did little to ease the discomfort of being thrown from side to side. The MAKO cut a zigzagging weave from the maw of the enormous worm-like creature.

"I can't get a clear shot!" Wrex obnoxiously huffed; for the moment, his attentions were on the targeting console. Too much interference, so said cannon-VI.

Fight or flight, the choice fell on Shepard. Thick silence hung across the tiny cabin.

"Maximize boosters- let's kill this son of a bitch..." Ashley took the command to heart; she mashed at colorful buttons, then gave a confirming nod to Shepard.

"Ready when you are, boosters are set- shit! Watch out, acid!"

The maw vomited out a long stream of acidic green liquid; more like a projectile missile considering the damage its spit could do, Shepard's foot rammed on the pedal once more before dodging to the west. Only way to bring one of these bastards down was by circling it and unleashing whatever heavy weapons you had; so long as the creature didn't disappear back under the planet's crust. The gunner needed to be quick, the driver, even quicker.

"Line it up, Wrex!" Shepard shouted, despite their enclosed spacing; whipping dust plumed outward like clouds of an intense explosion.

The krogan took pride in this part. He scooted deep in the creaking chair as the hairs of the cannon lined up perfectly with the side of the Thresher's bulbous head. Red and orange sparked on igniting the trigger; a dead-on hit, the artillery exploded black smoke upon imbedding deep under one of the creature's swinging tentacles. Charred flesh soon filled the MAKO; smelled like burning garbage.

"Direct hit! Not bad, Wrex." Ashley smugly grinned. The Thresher, indicated by the vehicle's sensors, was starting to turn after them – damn thing wanted to make chase, eh?

"Things aren't as tough as they look. Killed one in my younger days..." Wrex bragged mildly. 

Another glob of spit sailed toward the bobbing vehicle; delayed reaction, it wasn't in Shepard's sight. "Enemy contact! Move, commander-"

Green juices splattered along the MAKO's right. Bubbly secretion corroded the center tire, it scarred majority of the vehicle's armored plates to a powdery rust. A bright blue static discharged from the vehicle, it was taking excessive damage. The shield dispersed, its sensors screamed urgency.

"Damnit, it took out the shields! We need cover!" Ashley hammered away at the console to reroute emergency shielding.

"Cover- and where the hell am I gonna find that..." Shepard groaned sarcastically. Her motions kept up; boosters were kicked on after an agile thumb flipped several switches. "I drive, you shoot, Wrex! We can bring it down." Confidence – it bled from every action, every word. It was a quality that made her a capable leader, no one would deny her that.

"I like the way you think." Wrex darkly chuckled; the cannon was prepped again. Constant zigzag wasn't for the weakest stomach; Ashley hissed as the MAKO's force thrashed them against the interior like ragdolls.

Shepard rounded her machine south of the thresher; one swift pull on the wheel and the group ducked under another volley of destructive acid. The ground sizzled to a charcoal black that stretched for a good five feet in front of them. Any more damage to their vehicle and they'd explode with it.

"Fires beneath port shaft and rear tire. Emergency: smoke detected inside cabin. Evacuate all staff. Please contact your maintenance supervisor-" A dull virtual intelligence voice chimed in useless information.

And how do you put out interior fires? "Williams, lower the oxygen inside. Slap your helmets on, folks." Way too risky, but Shepard meant it. She secured her breathing mask with one hand on the wheel-

"What? You've gotta be joking! We'll only have ten minutes of breathable air!" Ashley grumbled, but obeyed the instruction. Lack of oxygen depleted the small fires building beneath their floorboard, but it did little to ease the overheating of special sensors. Shepard was driving blind now, and with hardly any oxygen in the cabin, to boot.

Choking lung vapors steadily seeped upward in gray, spiraling vortexes. The dry crackle of broken circuit boards chirped their sounds of failure. Now or never, the Thresher's entire upper body swiveled with the dexterity of a cobra preparing to strike. No more than thirty feet shy of the MAKO, its grotesque body heaved low to shake the mechanism off its tracks.

She yanked the wheel left; narrow turn, acceleration boosted them up eight feet in the air – evasion to the quake won them only a one-second window.

"Hit it!"

"We're right in front of it- oh my God-"

Wrex smirked; this was dangerous, putting them out in the open like this, but Shepard's judgment wasn't to be questioned. The inertia drives slowed their fall long enough-

Cross-hairs lined with the beast's drooling orifice; timed reaction came as his fists slammed on the controls. High-pitched shrieking flooded the MAKO – two missiles, one right after the other, thudded with enough force to send the Thresher's head lolling back on contact. A dying roar, brain matter poured from a jagged hole to its skull; droplets of spit pattered along the MAKO's partially cracked shell. There was another unforgivable tremor – the alien's withering body fell forward, a massive oak that'd been cut at the base of its trunk, poor gravity dragged the beast down. … _Toward_ them.

"Got it!" Wrex snarled a victorious cackle; he wasn't wearing his damn helmet, come to find out.

"Go, go, go!" Ashley spun in her seat; flashing monitors died as output computers crashed.

The never-ending struggle; Shepard saw the growing shadow engulf the MAKO's cracked windshield. Both feet stomped on the gas; knuckles whitened under her gloves, she cut to the east- _Thumpfft!_ Back end rose again – the Thresher struck the ground, sparing mere inches from hitting the vehicle's rear. As if to add insult to injury, she peeled out – loose rock slung across drooping tentacle and the worm's fangy, gnarled mouth.

The MAKO took off again, soon exceeding speeds of roughly over 70 mph. Shepard eased the vehicle to a slow stop once they gained distance between the carcass – emergency brakes finally took control, while the VI chirped Alliance safety protocols.

"Whew... talk about one helluva ride, huh?" She reclined back in her chair to toothily smirk up at the filmy ceiling.

"That- that was... intense, commander." Ashley mumbled disapprovingly, but as victory heightened, the soldier leaned over to genuinely pat Shepard's shoulder.

"Nice shootin', Wrex. See? He's got his uses." She gave an elbow to her friend's side before glancing over her shoulder to the krogan-

He was swimming in his own adrenaline, his win. "It's more fun to kill 'em on foot, though..." Courteous tip of his large, crimson head, the scaly mercenary leaned back and inhaled the sweet, acrid odor of failed components- fire, death. Reminded him of home.

"Maybe next time, Wrex."

"Yeah? Well, count me out on that adventure..." Ashley muttered under breath; Shepard barked out a harsh laugh. She understood the battle more than the other human – Wrex came to respect the commander because of this.

_She knew how to pick her battles- and her people. Wouldn't hurt to learn from that. _

"- You're not even listening to my concerns! You are beginning to make me question your clan leadership, Urdnot Wrex..."

He was pulled back to the unpleasant voice of the green-scaled battlemaster bellowing before him. Gatatog Uvenk, always the thorn in his side since he returned to Tuchanka – was this all a mistake?

"You're still here, Uvenk?" Wrex's broad jaw flopped against an upraised hand; he relaxed in his stony throne – unfortunate, that his daydream be ruined by Uvenk's whiny complaints. Good times back then.

(Pardon the slop of dialogue – the fight was fun to write out, at least!)


	3. Chapter 3

(This is rough around the edges, not sure I like it much, but hopefully someone will!)

A velvety black sky connected the horizons together in complicated layers, like careful brush strokes of a surreal painting. Fuzzy white snowflakes swayed from their creators, crimson bellied clouds – contrast, there was too much to absorb at once. Dizziness slowed her whirling brain as bitter cold settled deep against bone. Pain blazed up her right arm. Bright spheres offered subtle glow amongst the hazy, multicolored skies – suns of red and blue. She'd been on her back for at least a minute, if not longer- tranquil heavens made it difficult to arise from dazed slumber. _Where am I- _

Recognition of the cold, snowy surroundings numbed her swollen tongue-_** Antibaar.**_

The smells of burning metal, plastics, and _blood _awoke her. She remembered now; they stumbled on a geth base filled with rocket troopers, armatures- a god damn c_olossus._

Shepard's breather helmet filtered out the smoke's toxins, yet a delayed alert beeped loudly in her ear; _Warning: Extreme damage to hard suit life-support systems. Oxygen capacity at 38 percent. Please make necessary valve repairs- _She must have struck pretty damn hard on impact...

"I see her! I found her, Garrus!" Liara's wispy voice tittered in to her ear piece. Slow movement disheveled a small blanket of snow from her helmet; she lay crumpled beside a large, steaming crater. How'd that happen?

"Get her back to the MAKO! I'll cover you!" The turian sounded winded as he growled through a mouthful of static.

"Commander Shepard! You must wake up..."

Shepard was forcefully tugged upright by struggling hands. Watery eyes fluttered open at last- she weakly inhaled.

"I'm awake..." She croaked quietly. The sky faded out of her view; she was up on throbbing legs with the asari doctor's hands supporting her arm and shoulder.

"Oh, thank the Goddess! Shepard, listen to me, we must make a retreat- there's just too many... are you able to stand?" Liara supported the human's waist before giving a guiding nudge toward the vehicle. They were positioned behind a snow-capped hill, its hard, rocky surface and curved angle had been the best place for sniping shots safely at the base. Now, geth threatened to overrun the area with slow-to-approach armatures. The turian's constant aim, shoot, and dodge technique wore the sentient machines thin, but for how long could he keep up?

Liara was unfortunately right; the geth buzzed out of their nest like raging wasps. _Shit._

Shepard's leg dropped her proud stance to a crippled limp- "Almost there!" Liara ducked close, her arms cradling much of the commander's weight as Garrus soaked up negative attention with concussive blasts, his Volkov well on the verge of overheating.

"Might want to make it quick, we got the colossus coming!"

Thundering vibrations shook snowy clumps free, miniature avalanches; monstrous silver trudged forward, inch by inch. Taller than the armatures, more powerful than rocket troopers, the colossus. Truly, a geth nightmare to deal with on foot. The metal construct blotted their eastern path.

After moments of slipping along thick, white banks, Liara managed to pull her semi-conscious leader toward awaiting safety; the six-wheeled machine popped its own door when sensors detected the approach of an officer.

"Aghn! My leg!"

Liara's form buckled violently, she fell seven feet short of the MAKO and its side-hatch with Shepard collapsing flat on her face. Intense pain; blood splattered across the white environment before instantly freezing- the asari loudly shrieked and grasped her thigh. A gurgling curse brought Shepard on all fours; dark purple began to bubble in a hole located at the back of Liara's calf. Her light armor was beginning to shred.

"Hang on, Liara..." The roles became reversed; Shepard slung the asari across her back, strength was rapidly fading, muscle exceeded its limitations. In a last ditch effort, she shoved Liara hard into the MAKO's cold, black interior.

Liara's upper torso contorted at the waist during her faulty stagger. With a pained whimper, she dragged herself along grated metal to reach the emergency first-aid kit stowed behind the driver's seat. Commotion outside rose her attention long enough to see Shepard's battered figure lunge away from the door- "Fall back, Garrus!"

Heavy arsenal exploded close by; the MAKO shuddered ominously. A blue electrical pulse surged through the equipment, bringing it close to failure- "Commander," Liara gasped in the comm line. "We have to leave now!" Bloody fingers grappled at the controls; she rerouted direct power, but another hit would make it all in vain.

"Garrus, get up!" Shepard's hoarse voice sounded like a weak bark; something was wrong, the turian's comm channel crackled with only interference.

The asari turned partway in her seat to watch the door frame- horror illuminated her sweat-streaked face. With her luck, the commander and C-Sec officer were dead – geth were closing in, she'd be killed effortlessly as she sagged against the console. _This is the end..._

To her surprise, familiar black and blue armor clattered at the steps. The turian, unconscious by the way his helmeted head lulled under the force of gravity seemed to move- not out of his own will, but something beyond him – a puppet on strings. N7 armor surfaced behind Garrus; with a heavy push accented in piercing scrapes, Shepard crammed him inside where he continued to bleed streams of blue from an impacted shot taken at the chest.

It was probably one of the most amazing things Liara had ever witnessed, in the terms of battlefield companionship – not only did Shepard save her life, she rescued Garrus-

"Help me, Liara!" The human snapped loudly at her; senses partially renewed, Liara gulped and slid out of her seat to examine the smoldering damage. A sniper round that bit through his shields – from the looks of it, three layers of his exoskeleton glimmered dimly, pieces of teal muscle and white bone were visible if she squinted. Her throat clamped shut; knuckles pressed against his wound.

"He's badly hurt..." She glanced up; Shepard shoved past her to reach the steering controls. Silence – as if she couldn't admit what just transpired-

"Use some medi-gel. Patch yourself up, too. I'm getting us the hell out of here." Another pulse, one that narrowly missed the MAKO's hull carved at the hill; snow evaporated to create humid plumes of steam. The vehicle's sensitive instruments chirped a starting sequence – ignition blared on, red alerts paneled across each console. _Shields, gone; cannon, overheated; core engine, functional._

"I don't think medi-gel will be enou- AGH!" Liara couldn't hide her yelp of surprise; she was flung against Garrus' motionless body – mad driving at hand, gained speed knocked anything not bolted down to the floor. Tires stuck, they lost traction amidst the snow; boosters flared to life as a collective gush of jetted energy burst beneath back bumpers – they sailed eight feet in the air before landing with a harsh bounce.

Burning rubber, clouds of black smoke- Shepard turned sharp around the corner of a small, white-glazed canyon. Seemed to be a one-way trip; they accelerated down a vivid slope – the incursion of geth faded with each passing second.

While the path evened out, Liara hurriedly removed the turian's helmet; shallow breath, his body temperature was dropping. "I-I can't get him out of his armor. The clasps appear jammed-" Brakes screeched; Shepard achieved stealth by hiding heat emissions. There was a heavy pause, she exhaled sharply before settling against the aliens.

"Move aside." Shepard grunted lowly; she removed her own helmet in a clatter. Gauntlet fingers dug like claws in to Garrus' side – he opposed against the pain with a muffled groan.

"We should be careful not to traumati-" Liara's meek words did little to talk Shepard out of smashing his suit locks open. Orange sparks glittered in between clenched knuckles; each punch allowed air, and blood, to hiss freely. For being half Garrus' size, the human hoisted his upper torso upright; additional clasps clicked open, his armor broke into two sections across his chest. Next came the shoulder guards, his gloves- the gaping wound was bigger than either of them imagined. Three inches in width, the round penetrated deep – a lucky shot, it barely missed vital organs.

Shepard laid him back down before rocking back on her heels; she was pale now, lips twisted to an expression unfamiliar to the asari; regret?

"The bullet's still in there," she smudged caked blood from her forehead. "Give me something to yank it out with."

Liara quickly rummaged through the first-aid box; tweezers, no- something bigger. "Ah, this might work." A tool that resembled a narrow headed vice-grip wrench, she sterilized it with green gel. Trembling hands offered the device; how much turian physiology did the commander know?

"Perfect." Shepard faintly grinned relief; she applied one hand to the male's plated chest before gritting her own teeth – nothing in the Alliance prepared her for something like this.

The wrench delved within the wound; Garrus involuntarily flinched. Slight wriggling of the metal made him stiffen at every joint – Liara tried soothing him with a hand to his forehead.

"Just relax. It will be over soon." Oh Goddess, she hoped. So much blood, an odd mixture of purple, red and blue – the interior of the MAKO gleamed in colorful smears. Her heart palpitated on hearing the commander curse; she slipped, Garrus quivered while gnashing his teeth. It seemed like an eternity had passed as Shepard slowly removed the offending shrapnel – a bullet longer than her thumb. She tossed it aside, then poured the remains of medi-gel in the wound. Stitches would have been useless, his skin too tough- but maybe if she cauterized it...

Liara read her look; nervous eyes jerked to the dual-pointed laser tucked in the kit. One wrong move with it and it'd be fatal. Experience hands were necessary to operate the hand-held instrument. "Perhaps we should call the Normandy for an extraction-"

"He'll bleed out before then." The medi-gel slowed enough blood loss through forced coagulation, but deep tears in the muscle surrounding the bullet hole continued to thickly weep. Shepard's gaze hardened; she glanced up to the asari before weakly smiling. "You hold a light steady, we can do this."

She gawked at the red-head before dragging the heel of her palm across a damp cheek. She was a researcher of Prothean study, far cry from the medical field- Shepard looked determined, and Garrus was fading fast. Slight nod of her head came in agreement; a pinlight clicked on above his injury. "Ready when you are..."

The mini-laser hummed, its v-tipped end became searing red. "Hold him down." This was going to hurt worse than yanking out metal from his chest, she imagined. Liara obeyed the request by folding a knee over his shoulder; white light pooled across damaged silver.

Ever so slowly, the turian was becoming conscious. Lucid dreaming brought him back to reality; the frowning expression of a human, his commander, and the worried pouting of an asari, the scientist. Garrus' hawk-like gaze softened; his body screamed, breathing was difficult. A little red light hovered above his chest- _agony._ He gave a stifled yowl as the laser sealed his wound; medi-gel numbed crucial parts of his anatomy, but active nerves spread the torture up to his brain.

Shepard leaned closely over him, her hands unmoving. Each tear slowly healed under the burning light – tissue scarring was imminent, Dr. Chakwas was going to have to double check her work.

Thirty minutes ticked in to a full hour. Liara readied a self-adhesive bandage and firmly applied it to the turian's torso. She found a sedative pill casually thrown in the kit- too bad they couldn't have given it to him before Shepard's work; he swallowed it as she nursed it down his throat. Sleep pulled him back in, thankfully.

Liara carefully aided her own wound, a minor graze that'd been deflected with her biotic shielding. The calf muscle was bruised, but no longer bleeding from what she could tell; two doses of medi-gel brought on healing effects that sealed her split blue flesh. Shepard hadn't bothered with giving herself an examination, although the asari believed she needed one (mentally). They only had a few packs of medi-gel left, and it wasn't surprising that she gave the sparse amount to her and Garrus. She silently moved up to the second-in-command seat, however pointless it was; the consoles were fried.

"That... was painful to watch." They hadn't spoken a word since his care. Shepard glided the rumbling MAKO onward, using physical navigation rather than the busted control modules. The human regarded Liara carefully through a sweat-laden bang; under pressure, a steely gaze riddled clear blue with blackened swirls. Fatigue.

"That was painful to do. He'll be alright, though. He's pretty tough." Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Liara sit close, her hands fidgeted. The asari gave a nod, then a slow smile.

"And so are you. How you managed to survive that rocket blast is … amazing." Blue eyes fluttered out the window; clouds of snow pummeled the MAKO mercilessly – shield generators were still at a low percentage. What she wouldn't give to be back on the Normandy, tucked away in her hole behind the med-bay...

"There's nothing amazing about luck." Shepard raised her shoulders for a dismissive shrug, but her tone spoke of past knowledge. Luck often saw to her survival – if luck existed at all. It certainly wasn't _divine_ intervention.

Liara curiously tilted her head – it was difficult to analyze much of the commander's words; they were either too cryptic, or just confusing. It felt natural for her to turn and place a gentle hand on Shepard's forearm; soft lips aligned thoughtfully.

"Well, for what it's worth, I am very thankful you and Garrus are alright." She squeezed her appendage; Shepard seemed to edge away. "And- and thank you, for allowing me the opportunity to find Benezia." This set the commander at ease; gentle hand pat to the asari's knuckles, she reclined back in her seat to numbly rub at her eyes.

"Glad to have you aboard, Liara." She meant it at least, or so Liara hoped. Another cue of silence amidst bumpy terrain and snowy drifts-

"Forgive my asking, but... are you... ah-" Boldness erupted from her mouth – she stammered like a nervous teen.

She wasn't pressured to finish the statement; Shepard calmly maneuvered this way and that before several high-pitched pings echoed across the comm channel.

"_There_ you are! Where the hell have you been, Commander? I look away from the radar for one second and you fall off in the deep end!" Joker's voice rang clear – Liara could never tell if he was joking.

She gave an amused sigh to the pilot's banter. "We're fine, thanks. Find us an extraction point, Garrus is injured and the MAKO's seen better days. God damn geth..."

"Woah, sounds like a winter wonderland adventure. I'll have Dr. Chakwas ready in cargo. Sending coordinates now."

"Done. Now what were you askin'?" Shepard turned fully to face the asari then, much to her own surprise. Liara gulped nervously again – one of her quirks was to look away submissively, shoulders slackened before she pulled her posture upright.

"Ah- well, I was going to ask if you were in a relationship with Ale- uhn... anyone." She blurted out the last part to cover her tracks; rumor had it that the lieutenant, Kaiden Alenko, fancied their commander, however fraternization was looked down upon in Alliance military. No harm in asking, right?

"With- Alenko? Oh, God, no." Shepard dramatically rolled blood-shot eyes. "Good guy, good soldier, but not my type. … Why are you asking? I don't think this counts as human study." Toothy grin surfaced, it made Liara swallow back fear.

"I was just- curious. I've yet to understand human courtship. I find it interesting." _What a terrible excuse._ Blue eyelids tightly closed. "Forget I mentioned anything..."

"There's not a lot to understand. We're just as hopeless as any other species, to be honest. Sometimes we know what we want, but we can't have it." The engine drowned out most of her murmured explanation, Liara saw it as insightful- but peculiar. So, Shepard was interested in someone, but refused to take action? Why? Was it her? Blood rose to her cheeks.

_No, don't be silly. It's there – plain as the sun. I envy him, I always have._

She looked absolutely mortified when she dragged Garrus to the MAKO hours ago. A true fear that he might perish, all because of her decision – she wasn't ready yet to face the choice of saving and killing a comrade, a friend. To Liara, it seemed well beyond her understanding of human emotions, and what drove them to do the things they did. _Hopelessness_, or perhaps the rejection of despair; whatever the reason, Shepard kept those secrets hidden, even from herself.

_**Charred bone was pulled carefully from the crater – the commander's luck ran out. Sections of her body were missing; fingers, toes, a portion of her skull. Liara openly wept against Feron's shoulder. **_

_They said they could bring you back... but I didn't do it for Cerberus, or myself. I did it for you._

"You have a call waiting on channel 8, Liara." The overly polite tone of Nyxeris, her assistant freed her from the sorrowful trance; misty tears welled in the corners of downcast eyes. Back on Illium, away from the MAKO, away from the cold, away from the smell of death-

_Luck has nothing to do with your happiness._

"Thank you, Nyxeris..."


	4. Chapter 4

Shades of every green imaginable flourished in plentiful fields – uniquely beautiful, if one respected the color of nature. Eletania's mossy environment lacked grass and trees, but this didn't stop Kaiden from comparing the small planet to Earth in its own beginning stages, before life blossomed in to something grim and superficial. The MAKO rolled on easily; Shepard, for once, wasn't speeding across the planet's surface like a bat out of hell, either. A leisurely drive – the irony that pegged his thoughts made him faintly smile.

"Ya like lookin' at all the algae, Alenko? Pretty interesting." Shepard caught his bemused smirk; most of her squad knew better than to take her dry humor seriously- Kaiden was the exception, why?

"It's more than just algae, commander. Our planet was like this at one point - no roads, no people - nothing but … green." Kaiden remarked quietly, but the corner of his smile reflected a tarnished grimace. She couldn't appreciate anything if it wasn't dangerously chaotic, he's come to realize.

"Yeah... and if you step outside to admire the view, the toxins will kill you." Gruff vocals arose from the back area of the MAKO; Kaiden pivoted in his seat to glance at the turian. Shepard darkly chuckled.

"Can neither of you appreciate life in its purest form? I'm just saying I respect it, toxins and all." The lieutenant's tone was sharp in offense, but it evaporated quickly when Shepard nudged his arm with a soft punch.

"Calm down, Alenko. We're just messin' around. I'd respect it more if the symbiotic life in the air wasn't trying to kill us. It'd make finding this data module a lot easier..." On foot, exploration was more satisfying than cruising along in an armored vehicle. Things were less predictable, and less cramped.

"Wouldn't be surprised if the geth were here looking for it, too." An offhanded comment, Kaiden's dark eyes swiveled out the window.

Her knuckles whitened; she subconsciously gripped the steering lever harder than intended. He could be such a downer, sometimes. "Like we need that kind of hell right now." A week had passed since the incident on Antibaar; Liara's demeanor became even mousier around Shepard while Garrus seemed almost … humbled, quiet. His injuries healed nicely, but that didn't stop Dr. Chakwas from giving the commander hell. He could've died-

"Anything on the map, Garrus?" She choked back the guilt. The MAKO shook its occupants as it crawled over shifting rock; lichen-splotched mounds crumbled under rubber tires. Flat plains soon evolved to peaked granite – she always had a knack for choosing rough paths.

"Nothing so far." He replied with a shrug; idle glimpses crept their way toward Shepard's seat. Garrus never did thank her, properly, for saving his life. Liara spared him of the grotesque details of his surgery. Blue blood stained fragments of metal flooring and the arm of Alenko's seat. It raised many questions, all of which floated eagerly at the back of his mind. For now, he'd keep the driving comments to himself – that'd be good enough.

"Keep an eye on it. No need for surprises..." Front of the MAKO dipped down low; metal screeched upon grinding against the protrusion of uneven soil. Wheels picked up speed, and a crash with the underside of another hill seemed likely – Kaiden instantly tensed for some type of impact.

Boosters jumped the MAKO upright; they evaded sudden doom by gliding over it like a mechanical bird.

The senors chimed; little red triangles fluttered across Garrus' screen. "Something small on the radar-"

There was a sickening crunch – something soft broke the MAKO's descent. Dry, brown muck and purple, furry bodies scattered as hell rained from the skies. Dull red streaked the windshield – fleshy intestines decorated the hull; Kaiden's jaw dropped. What the hell did they hit?

"Holy-" The lieutenant gurgled lowly, he lost composure – Shepard made up for it with a morbid grin.

"Pyjak nests. Whoops." The small primates were rather docile in the presence of anything (how they managed to survive against predators still perplexed many scientists), even as their nests turned to shredded mush. A few escaped death by jumping on top of the MAKO; irritable banging- Shepard sped from their colony before rudely backing over the survivors.

"C'mon, is that really necessary?" The biotic groaned with disgust; amused, Garrus chuckled.

"Guess the little beasts had it coming." It seemed, to Kaiden, that the turian often fueled their commander's sick streak.

"They're vermin, Alenko. Doing the galaxy a damn favor here." Her tone was twisted, vividly defensive – she didn't need to explain her reasoning. To that, Kaiden merely shook his head; the ride continued silently onward- really, where the hell would they find this damn module on a planet the size of the moon?

Additional beeping; new triangles formed organized patterns on the radar. Not pyjak. "Movement to the left, and I don't think it's your furry friends." Garrus rumbled cautiously; a few touches of the screen brought up a geographical map – for safety, he uploaded it to the MAKO's automated driving systems.

"Let's take a look, shall we—" Shepard's murmur intertwined with an alert buzzer. The vehicle's sensors gave a panicked vibe; jammed by an outside force.

The turian softly groaned. "Geth... again?"

Before he or Kaiden had time to man their posts in the vehicle, the MAKO's engine howled; she accelerated dangerously around the nook of a mound, then prematurely released boosters for a flying jump. Someone really ought to make her read the MAKO handguide-

"Found 'em!" Shepard gleefully yelped while her companions thudded in their chairs; white metal glimmered like bone shards to the west – that's where she'd land.

The geth really hadn't anticipated a full confrontation. Troopers turned their lamp-shaped heads up; a large shadow, outlined by bloody wheels, flew right over them. Aiming was shoddy, two offending constructs were torn apart – the MAKO pounced on its collection of targets like a prowling lion. The remaining force attempted to gain distance through back paced steps, but Shepard banked hard. Scorched algae, damp grass and loose rock sprayed outward in a change of velocity; it was a distraction, and when she felt brave enough to face them head-on, Shepard rushed forward to launch the last three off an adjacent cliff. Their thin torsos ricocheted off the vehicle's reinforced bumper. Not far to fall, but rocky spires lining the cliff's mouth broke their bodies in robotic fragments.

The triangles flickered off his screen, one by one; Garrus relaxed back with an affirming nod to the human. "They're down."

Kaiden was gripping his restraining belt, eyes wide and mouth partially agape. His neck was screaming with pain – whiplash. "Agh..." Motion stopped, balance returned. He firmly rubbed the base of his skull.

"Ha!" Shepard victoriously grinned to the male beside her- he wasn't smiling back. "I don't see anything- no base, no dropship. What the hell would they be doing all the way out here?" She craned her head back to peer at the turian thoughtfully – he'd have answers.

"Your guess is as good as mine. A lump of debris- can't tell what, it's just a few kliks from here." He enlarged the map and gave it a hard squint; the defected landscape was nothing more than a dark-smeared blob.

"Mark it. We'll check it out." Sources were always good to find, it promised her the creds needed to carry out this obscure mission. Salvaging fallen probes had never been her dream job, but neither was saving the galaxy. Shepard eased the MAKO to the pre-determined location- and what she saw was utterly mindblowing. Her brain tingled familiarity.

_Ruins._ A perfect circular slab of granite seemed guarded by unlinked barricades, each at least four feet tall in height. She counted five walls encircling the slab and two pillars protruding behind the landmark. It all appeared to be made of gray, a smooth, yet stony surface- but what sat at the middle of it seemed to be even more enthralling. Spherical metal, visibly shiny – like liquified mercury. The ball hovered above a dent in the slab – a propulsion system? Given the time frame of 50,000 years, she doubted the technology was still functioning. Hover it did though, a sphere at least half the size of the MAKO's interior.

"What is that..." Kaiden's whisper sounded more like a croak.

"A Prothean ruin." She felt eyes drill in to the back of her head. They knew _she_ knew – why ask questions?

"Do you plan on recovering it?" Garrus broke the lengthy silence that followed her remark. Each occupant seemed lost in their own minds, their own realms.

"It's not safe- the geth might come back for it. It may take several hours for a recovery team to get down here to haul it up, anyway. Too big for the MAKO." The lieutenant spoke up, as if adding his two cents to the decision. Turian and human alike knew it wasn't really up to them, though.

Shepard's blue gaze became glassy and unblinking. Disturbing visions replayed in her head – each and every time she touched a Prothean device, bad reactions happened; her willpower to overcome the surge of energy was strong, but what if- "Even more reason to recover it. We'll set up coordinates, wait for the Normandy, and blow away any Geth that come around."

"... A sound plan, if it wasn't for the toxin level." Garrus felt like she should be reminded of the risks, it determined her actions – a lesson to learn in each scenario, this was no different.

"We'll make it quick. Make sure you replace helmet filters, and your oxygen tanks are charged." Final nail in the coffin, they quickly assembled their gear.

Within minutes the MAKO's hatch hissed open with Shepard leading the group at center. Already, her suit's hardware chirped warning: _Level One Hazard – estimated time of oxygen use: eight minutes. _Plenty of time. She felt drawn to the ruin, like a fly attracted to the color of a bug zapper. It emitted something not everyone around her could hear – a soft, electronic hum. The frequency was different from the Reaper ship, there was worry, fear, regret, and panic firing off in her brain – all at once. Was this another failed warning, or something bigger?

They approached the base of the ruin slowly. Shepard was the first to decline down the slanted rock with Kaiden trailing behind, followed with Garrus at the back. She warily eyed the floating ball, as if it were some sleeping mystical creature- to disturb it may have a fatal outcome.

The commander stopped eight feet short of passing the sphere's hovering port. As she prepared her omnitool, her squad watched for any tell signs of geth- none so far.

"Normandy, we've got a pickup. Location has been uploaded – excavation team will be required." Joker pinged back on the comm channel; "Roger that. En route." How easy was that? The omnitool's orange glow faded – small steps pulled her forward involuntarily. The material held a breathtaking sheen – like a mirror that reflected a 360 perspective. What she found weird about it was that when she and her crew approached, they didn't appear in the reflection – not completely. Just blobs of moving color, the rotating liquid hummed- louder.

"Careful, Shepard..." Kaiden spoke out of character – he'd been watching her from his peripheral. "Doesn't look like a beacon, it might be something completely different."

She ignored him; distance sealed three feet, her mind was buzzing. _That's the whole point._

"Commander, he's right-" Even Garrus sided against her, that turian bastard! He was the least closest to the Prothean sphere – hesitation kept him outside its threshold.

"We won't know if we just stare at it." Boldness took over. A spontaneous hand edged up to gingerly touch-

"Shepard! Damnit!" She couldn't tell who spoke first – it all happened as a winding blur. Her body lurched toward the mirrored artifact through force; levitation, the ground dissolved – she was hoisted up in the air to float inches away from its surface. The ruin discharged static in her ears, beyond it was muffled crying- groans. A connection was fused within the depths of her cerebral cortex; the violent images did not come. The dawn of man twinkled beneath her eyelids – Shepard fell unconscious.

The two males witnessed the confusing scene unfold. She lightly brought her fingers down to caress the sphere's middle, and the next thing they saw, her entire body's contorted- suspended. Was the sphere trying to swallow her whole? Kaiden grabbed at her ankle; Garrus snagged the back of his suit and, together, they yanked her down from the magnetic object. There wasn't much gravity on Eletania, but it sounded painful just the same as Shepard collapsed across the stone slab. A leg twitched, fingers trembled. She was murmuring something intangible.

"What the hell just happened?" Confusion made him angry, Garrus fixated burning eyes at the lieutenant. He was kneeling beside her, his hands frantically shaking at small, buckled shoulders. The turian moved on the other side of Shepard; the hologram of his omnitool rapidly displayed her suit's information.

"I don't know... she did this back on Eden Prime. I was dumb enough to get close to the beacon, but she saved me- got her instead." Kaiden experienced in his own battle with guilt – forever he'd blame himself for Shepard's prothean misfortunes.

"Vitals are okay. Heart rate is slightly elevated. She's- dreaming, I think." The turian mused quietly. "Let's get her back to the MAKO and wait for the Normandy. We can't do much if our commander is sleeping." Garrus dismissed his tool, and without thinking to ask for Alenko's approval, he scooped Shepard up. Limp legs dangled over his forearm, while her head went cradled against his chest. Kaiden reared back on his heels – near defiance, he glared at the alien.

"I could've carried her, Garrus." The human's retort seemed childish, defensive. There was a twinge of aggression between them, he sensed it – primal urges slowly surfaced.

He paused in mid-step and pretended to consider the other's outburst. "I'm stronger." He was slyly grinning, but his helmet kept facial quirks dormant and invisible. _Better that way._ Garrus turned away then and made the trek up to the MAKO; Shepard slept soundly in his arms.

* * *

It was definitely an image that Kaiden couldn't forget. The turian cared for her; he replaced the filters in her helmet, then contented himself with simply sitting beside her still form until she awoke. There wasn't much for him to say, or even do back then; he lost Shepard that day. His defeat came from instinct, he accepted it for what it was.

_A human and a turian. We've come a long way, out on the frontier. _Something to appreciate, and hate.

Regret was thick at the back of his mouth – maybe if he told her sooner, acted tougher in the alien's presence, she could have been his – right? Two years came and went, his dignity slowly began to self-repair. Presumably dead, but not in the hearts of those that loved her.

_What did she see?_ Shepard never spoke of the visions that haunted her over the course of several hours.

**You wouldn't believe me, even if I told you.** Her commanding tone chilled his spine.

"Hey," a soft-spoken voice washed away the forlorn expression tearing deep at his mouth. "Time for lunch. You've been working hard- how about I treat you?"

Horizon was a beautiful planet. The air smelled sweet, free of pollution, while the strange, native trees swayed gently in slow breezes. Rain would be approaching soon- and those damn comm towers needed to be up and running before then.

Kaiden glanced up from his report in surprise. The Horizon colonist, Lilith, greeted him with a warm smile. She was a small-built woman, and perhaps the total opposite of Shepard – by appearance and attitude. Maybe that's what he needed- to forget the loss.

"Sounds good."

(Tried not rushing this, my apologies if it seems that way. Writer's block is my curse!)


	5. Chapter 5

(Fives days after the battle on the Citadel)

The music was loud- pulsating. The laughter was earsplitting- annoying. There was a celebration to be had, and by damned, the humans were overjoyed, elated. Shepard accomplished what was once seen as the impossible – Saren's death became an instant symbol; Sovereign's master plan laid foiled, all by a _human_. Garrus found his respect doubling- tripling; she walked away from the Citadel's wreckage with a broken arm and fractured ribs – that smug smile... honestly, he thought her dead when the rubble rained down upon them. It'd been a long lasting fear, simply waiting for the inevitable. Limitations; the commander knew none.

She earned it. She earned it all – even the Normandy's ridiculous party. Turians celebrated with sparring and maybe the occasional drinking contest- but dancing? He took exit when a drunk Wrex hollered for an arm-wrestling competition, then promptly broke a cafeteria table- on accident, he claimed. Fun enough, the humans were far too intoxicated to care. Shepard was the center of attention, as much as she opposed against it, but after several shots of whiskey, she was reenacting out parts of their battle despite her arm being tucked in a limp sling. He had his fill of social drinking; no one noticed when Garrus quietly slipped away.

The cargo bay was quieter, desolate. He was taking his leave tomorrow for Spectre training; his father didn't know. C-Sec and the Council signed off on the application quicker than he imagined- but who could deny him? His role in the fight for the Citadel had been important, life changing. Something else to thank the human for, he guessed. Shepard personally recommended him – or so, the rumor was.

And to thank her, what better way than to finish off the MAKO's paint job? It wasn't an easy recovery, but Shepard demanded that their clumsy space rover be salvaged off the Citadel. A "souvenir", she called it; reality was, she probably viewed it as a lucky charm of sorts, he sure the hell did. The chances of it exploding on impact during their chase after Saren were incredibly high, and yet they managed to survive the cosmic entry.

Careful talons worked out the dents, buffed away scratches, and even removed the pyjak bones that had gotten caught between the exhaust pipes. He even refinished the interior by prying up the old leather seats and replacing them with newer material – the requisition officer assisted with that, at least. Still, his prices were a little outrageous...

Under dull, blue light the vehicle gleamed majestically; Garrus was proud of his work. With this under his belt, he had enough experience to rub it in Tali's face. Most of the crew praised her for her technical skills- he upped the quarian on this project. A dirty rag was used to wipe off grease- his fingers and spine were aching from all the bending and twisting, but it'd be worth it, to see her reaction.

"_Ding!"_ The slow elevator announced a sudden arrival; … really? Couldn't he get away from the crowd for longer than an hour? He cocked his head quizzically, yet his gut instantly retracted. Garrus was expecting her, as he usually did when the elevator obnoxiously chimed. He eased away from the MAKO's open hatch-

"Vakaaarian!" Yep. Still drunk. Shepard was alone as she tripped her way past sliding doors- good arm brandished something in her hand. A bottle – smelled like booze. She was wearing her casual uniform, but the creased shirt had become untucked from baggy, military pants. Glossy red locks appeared as disheveled slivers lining her forehead, and while she was boasting new scars on the contours of her face and throat, pale flesh looked rejuvenated and flushed.

"The hell ya doin', eh?! The party's up there! Not down- h-hey... woaaah..." Blood-shot eyes flecked with blue-grey went visibly wide at the hulking mass before them. He watched eagerly as she avariciously eyed the MAKO's silvery glow. It looked like it came right off the factory line!

"She's... beautifffuuull." Shepard staggered up beside the turian; he inwardly gloated.

"Told you I'd fix it up before I left. ... And with everyone … busy, why not finish it up now?" He gave a simple shrug. Of course, there wasn't anything simple about it. "Just... stop running over things that are _bigger_ than the front end of the MAKO."

Shepard's dazed stare finally blinked. "Pfftah... I'll treat 'er good." Bruised lips cocked out a grin; she whirled around suddenly – he flinched. "Brought you a gift!" She hiccuped. Her extended arm practically shoved the bottle of turian wine against his chest; an expensive import, Garrus quietly chuckled.

"Thanks." _I think._ He hesitated upon opening the bottle; sharp gaze observed her drunken stance, the fullness of her blushing mouth- she was grinning, and in a lurched step, Shepard eased herself closer to the vehicle where a hand softly roamed the exterior. Smooth as glass. Despite her stupor, she understood the work put in to the repairs – beautification, the machine held a special radiance that anyone could appreciate.

"M'impressed! Yer gonna hate me though when I take 'er for a test run tomorrow." She turned partway to devilishly smirk. Her turian companion hung his head with an idle shake, then promptly took a swig of the berry-flavored beverage. Sweetly tangy- reminded him of home. "You're sort of making me glad I won't be here to see it..."

"Aww, don't say that! We're gonna miss ya. … _I'll_ miss ya. Been through some times, you an' me." Her 'city' accent was thicker when intoxicated, he noticed. Lazy slouch in her demeanor brought the woman sagging against the edge of the MAKO's door – luckily the paint was dry. Mood shifted somberly; she looked... bothered, almost uncertain of something.

"Is there something you wanted to … talk about?" Garrus chided himself for giving an unnecessary pause. Things hadn't so much been awkward between them since the artifact incident-

_Thick eyelashes fluttered haplessly. The dream that the Prothean relic threw her in was strong and inconceivable; Shepard mumbled soft gibberish – her hands tightened to small, tight fists. Neither he or Kaiden knew what to do as they waited for the Normandy's extraction. She'd been unconscious for roughly ten minutes now-_

"_I hope she wakes up soon..." The biotic's mutter broke Garrus' gaze from the woman's pale, clammy face. Why wouldn't she? _

_Talons softly rubbed the top of her scalp. A gentle gesture, he tried soothing the complicated grimace that lined Shepard's lips. It eased her slowly – hands relaxed, her body slackened against the MAKO's floor. Garrus quirked out a turian smirk. "She will."_

Of course, Shepard wouldn't know (couldn't know) about any of that. He wasn't going to talk about it, and he highly doubted that Alenko would go out on a limb to mention the awkward moment. It was a time that made her completely vulnerable- physically. The mental fiasco in her head, however, was another story.

"If I said no, wouldya believe me?" Another hiccup, strayed by her jerking eyes- Shepard dismissed the topic with an idle wave of her five-fingered limb. He wasn't adept at reading human body language, but the mounting tension irked the turian. _Can't say that I would._ She sensed his silence; azure hues sculpted his stature, his face. Why was she staring so intently?

"Hey!" Shoulders rocked her forward, and with a not-so-elegant push, she moved away from the vehicle to swat at the air; vague attempt at snagging his attention away from the greater picture, Garrus tilted his posture. "You'll make a great shpecter, ya know tha'- right?" Body expression eluded to worry, yet the rest was unclear. He nervously took another gulp of alcohol. _Liquid courage. _Not like he needed it or anything...

"I- ah... thanks. That means a lot, coming from you, Commander." He strengthened his voice so that it'd rumble clearly, rather than intangibly. She had the knack of making him _nervous_, but never to the point of boiling discomfort. Should he find that thought distressing by turian standards?

"Nah- ya deserve it. My words... don' mean much. I ain' Jesus. Right person at the wrong time, they say..." Shepard drunkenly grumbled before plopping her rear on second to the last step of the MAKO's descent ladder. She was leaning hard within the door's frame, support to find, the slack of her shoulders hinted at an inner pain disguised under the fluke of an injured arm. _Savior of the Citadel,_ she despised the nickname with a low grunt.

"... Jesus?" Who the heck was that?

"Ah- nevermin'. S'human religion. Savi'r of Mankind, Lamb of God, Shepherd of the Flock. Deliver us from evil, that kinda stuff. Williams knew more-" Cringe in her appearance, there was a mournful frown – he knew what she was remembering...

_Virmire. Chief Gunnery Ashley Williams' death._

"Do what ya gotta do... nothin' else gets in between, ya can't go comparin' people to holy idols..." Speech was a little jumbled, but his translator worked its best to decode her perspicuous phrasing. The pressure was getting to her-

"Shepherd of the Flock? I don't know... that sort of goes with your name, doesn't it?" He meant to tease her, but she wasn't laughing. Stern, dilated eyes aimed up at the turian's face, Garrus gulped before finishing off the remainder of his beverage. "Bad joke, sorry. Come on, with that aside, you did something … amazing. You stopped Saren and a _Reaper,_ Shepard. You saved the Council, the Citadel... that's pretty damn remarkable to me." He'd stoop low to be at her level; a turian thing, eye contact was important, even if it made his intestines feel like they were burning. Could've been the alcohol, too, stuff was potent enough to give him a decent buzz.

"S'ppose it might be." A surprising smile, the human reclined back in momentary appreciation – it certainly put Garrus on the spot.

"Of- course, not that my- words hold enough weight, either. But you're... my commander." Rough vocal sounded strangely edgy, uncertain.

"Is that _all?_ I could ask ya to walk to hell with me an' ya'd do it, eh?" Shepard's charismatic smirk rippled – like rocks being cast into a pond, corners of her bright mouth tugged upward like a crescent.

_Hell._ He knew what that was... "Think we've already been to hell, Shepard." Disappointment, not the answer she wanted to hear, drooping gaze fell away- "I mean... if you asked me to do it again, I would. Without question." The turian was beginning to feel the vertigo effects – dizziness, rapid heart beat, jittery eye movement; did he mean that?

She tossed her head back in genuine laughter. A bursting, whimsical sound that eventually had her gasping for air and holding her ribs with slung arm, Shepard gurgled incoherent gibberish-

"Don't think I caught all that..." Maybe she didn't believe him! Was her question one of those dishonest 'traps' Pressly warned him about? Garrus grunted quietly as his eyes narrowed.

"Oh- oh, good! Fer yer sake, we won' go back _right_ away. Gotta heal up firs'." Another hiccup, the redhead managed to regain breath and composure long enough to slyly smirk up at him. It was roguish in nature, definitely something he wasn't used to seeing from the commander- some part of her smile, Garrus detected relief.

"Guess that's good news. So, what will you be doing in the meantime?" He reclined back as she swayed to a lazy hunch, elbow pressed firmly at the top of her knee. There was another drifting moment of silence; deep contemplation made slender brows furrow.

"Council wan's us t'kill off geth clust'rs. They're floatin' around... but you an' me both know the geth ain't the real problem here. S'funny... when the proof's there, no one wants ta'believe it." The happy-go-lucky drunk demeanor evaporated; in place were solid metal weights, invisible to the eye, but there and weighing down those small shoulders.

The turian wine numbed his brain; he wasn't sure what to say. It was a twitch of his gloved hand, and before he possessed control to stop it, palm settled on Shepard's shoulder. Valid surprise between the both of them, her eyes snapped up from their slanted view. She didn't seem to reject the touch, but perplexity crinkled the corner of her mouth, as if she were hiding back a secretive smile.

"They'd be crazy _and_ stupid for not believing you, Shepard. You and I both know that. Hell, Sovereign crashed into the damn Presidium. If that's not enough..." He curled his fingers gently into the cloth of her wrinkled shirt. Another subconscious thing, the affectionate squeeze hoped for... well, something.

"It's never enough fer 'em. Shoulda jus' let those bastards burn-" Garrus apparently spurred on her anger; the Council did often make her look like a fool, and the media was no better on the subject.

"I imagine the idea was awfully tempting, but... leadership, no matter how dysfunctional, is a hard thing to find. I think you did the right thing – not for _them,_ but for the people that _need_ them." Somewhere during his imperfect speech, she settled her hand across his wrist. Focus remained bleary, but a slow-to-rise grin quirked out white teeth. He wasn't sure how to feel about that, but the turian remained in place, distance just a foot away-

"An' where do I fit inta that equation? I sure as hell don' need those tight-assed fucks. 'Specially that turian counci'lor... no offense-" She almost slumped forward on a delaying hiccup; pressure at her shoulder clavicle kept her from headbutting him directly.

Garrus almost laughed aloud at her jumbled apology. "Easy there- and none taken. He's not the easiest to work with..." An unnecessary pause (he was bad about them) stilled his mouth. "-but to answer your question, people need _you, _just the same." Throughout their missions, he saw her as a mentor of sorts; she wasn't afraid to stomp on rules – unpredictable nature, however chaotic, got the job done. _Do you need her?_ Inner voice spoke eerily, his spine stiffened. Where the hell did that come from?

Shepard's smile shrank at its edges; had he upset her? Her muscles hardened, he felt them tense- _uh oh..._

Right as he gulped and shifted back (an apology built poorly on his tongue), hand slowly releasing flesh, she flung off the step in a swayed lurch. Flushed face collided with his jaw while her good arm snaked way around his neck; death grip, Garrus flopped back on his ass through a raspy grunt. Empty bottle clattered away – it disappeared beneath the MAKO in a curving spin.

"Thanks, Garrus." Skin warmly prickled. At this position, she was almost clumsily straddling him. Definitely had to be the booze, touchy-feely stuff wasn't her kind of thing, he figured. But at least, from what he could tell, she sounded sincere. Grateful.

"You're, uh... welcome." _You're choking me._ Although he thought it, the turian failed at voicing the obvious fact. She lingered against his chest a moment longer; armor prevented him from feeling additional heat, not to mention the softness of squishy human flesh, but the oddity of it quirked out a faint grin. For what seemed like an eternity, Shepard's lean form pressed on; labored breath said she was relaxed, had she fallen asleep?

Maybe she thought the same thing. A jolt in her posture alarmed him; she maneuvered herself up on heavy feet, then promptly tried aiding him to a stand- given her state of intoxication, he did most of the work himself.

"Good luck with yer trainin', Garrus. You're one helluva assh- erh... asset." She fumbled 'honestly' over the compliment; sheepish in emotion, the human struggled with maintaining professionalism. Could he blame her?

"Good luck with shooting geth, Commander. If you ever need something- well, you know I'll be here. Just try not to get yourself killed out there." The latter was meant to be a joke; no one was invincible, but if anyone _was_ in the galaxy, it'd be her.

Shepard pivoted back and loudly laughed before pain overtook her mouth for a contorted grimace. "Agh- you kiddin'?" She neared the MAKO's dark entrance again, as if debating on going inside. "Geth're a cake walk. But we'll be a'right. You too, yeah? Don' go thinkin' you can't hang with the rest'uv us 'cause yer some big shot on the Citadel."

"You mean I'm not already? C'mon..." He almost felt like hugging her, thanking her; this was his chance at making a name for himself – living in the shadow of a parent wasn't easy.

"See? Ya got an ego already." Banter seemed to be their thing, a back and forth game that, for some reason, haunted him later on. Garrus was happy to see her at relative ease; a shame this was their last night as a team.

She thought the same thing, or that's what he _wanted_ to think when pink lips twitched involuntarily. Something was amiss in that smirk; regret or guilt, he couldn't be sure.

"Show me the inside. Didja replace that tracking monitor? Piece of shit flickered 'nough to make me epileptic."

Yeah, Garrus didn't get that joke entirely, but he chuckled quietly at her exaggerated eye roll. They talked for the next two hours about- what else? The MAKO.

"-swear it! Alenko puked all over the control modules_._ Go ask Liara if you don' believe me! Said it was a combination of the crap they serve in the mess hall and my drivin', but there's _nothin'_ wrong with my drivin'..."

"Still in denial about that, huh?"

"... shaddup, Vakarian."

_Gonna miss you, Shepard._

* * *

He was running out of ammo. And hope.

Funny, in a sick way, how things turned out for him. Archangel had been saving the people of Omega by laying waste to mercenary groups that sank their claws into the station. It was his final hour, that he was sure of. Like Shepard, his men were dead; guilt and shame interwove like the threads in fabric – brain was heavy, heart was heavier.

Sleep deprivation made the Volkov rifle feel weighty; scope swiveled left, right- a colorful smear of bursting skull blotted his vision for a split second. The human he hit fell like a sack of bricks, only to be quickly replaced by another mercenary with shitty aim.

"You guys are like vermin... take one out, another pops up." Garrus muttered intangible cursing while shoving in a thermal clip. _What would Shepard do?_

**Kill as many as she could.**

And what a strange thing to revisit; Spirits knew he was just minutes away from a painful death. He never got the full details of Shepard's own demise, but intel had a way of seeping out beneath its coded secrecy; the Normandy had been hit, most of the crew survived, and Joker's testimony hinted at an excruciating death for their commander. Spaced. To die by suffocation was a grueling process; no matter how hard one struggled for air, the lungs burned while the brain and its memories withered. _I'm sorry I wasn't there for you. _

One year after her death, reports of her being alive infected the extranet; she'd been abducted by Geth, out on a black ops mission for the Alliance, and the most ridiculous claim: hiding out on a lonely island. Sad to say he tracked each story only to find bitter disappointment at the end; how was one supposed to move on without closure?

_Garrus Vakarian;_

_I thought you might like to know; she's alive. _

The short message was dated two days ago, its source unknown and impossible to decrypt, although ping tracing hinted at a port on Illium. Whoever sent the bullshit likely intended to mess with his head, pull at the heart strings; he blamed one of the Eclipse sisters, they were known for mind games, but still...

**_We can only be so optimistic in a time of constant woe._**

Final line of the message; a certain emptiness filled his chest. If she _was_ supposedly alive, he'd not be around long enough to see her again. No more reminiscing, no more drunken laughter, no more quips about poor driving, no more odd emotions that made him question everything he once stood for-

"He's gotta be running low... you! Run in!" The loud bark of a Blue Suns merc disrupted brittle thoughts.

After a reload and brief rest, scope zoomed in on an ambitious punk who looked like he'd never held a pistol before in his life. A real pity that the crime lords took to hiring offbeat trash, he _almost_ felt bad for gibbing the kid's head; blood and brains painted the ground level in vivid shades – blue, red, white and yellow, their puddles gleamed under the boot of an approaching female human swamped by two additional team members. A dark-skinned man who looked relaxed, while the other female in tight white glowered frustration.

Their leader stopped momentarily at the dead youth blocking their path; clad in crimson armor, her breather helmet sparked familiarity-

_What?_

Gestures pointed up at his position before she extended a pistol ahead of her; two explosive rounds devoured their way through an unnoticed mercenary infiltrating the room below.

"She's helping Archangel!"

It was like a veil being lifted over dream-encrusted eyes; while the pain of prior injury slowed most of his movement, he was still capable of watching the scene through the end of his rifle. Increase in heartbeat soon pushed high doses of adrenaline through his body; Garrus found motivation.

_How can you be sure that's really her?_

She took cover beside a cargo crate during an exchange of gunfire – for the moment, he was forgotten by egotistical vengeance.

The Shepard doppelganger was right in his sights; a perfect lineup, but how could he safely determine that was truly his old commander?

A few tweaks to the Volkov and he was on his way to aiming a concussive round. _If you're a ghost-_

Garrus hit her dead on. Shepard's body jerked in a spastic shudder that sent her falling right into her male companion. He managed to strike her left shoulder, but it wasn't enough to take down all of her shields.

"Ya sunn'ova bitch!" It was a bellow he instantly recognized for its harsh tone and strange dialect; Shepard's seething vision met his with jarring force. "Don't shoot! We're on the same god damn side!"

Archangel was uplifted to the point of suppressed joy. _Why is she- don't question it._

"Missed you, Shepard."


	6. Chapter 6

The driver's seat squeaked softly on an exaggerated flop of tired limbs. Casting a timid glow were the multiple control consoles of the MAKO; its pale blue light made her look sickly, fragile, and all the more irritated with her surroundings.

"_Hello, Commander Shepard. Will you be testing weapon diagnostics today?_" The polite chirp of the MAKO VI suddenly greeted her.

"Shh! No... just... be quiet." She fumbled with a clove flavored cigar (because fuck those stupid e-vaporizers, she wanted something **real**) and a slender torch-light used for minimal welding repairs. It was one of those times she craved nicotine more than anything; back on Earth, she'd been a heavy smoker on the streets. It was tough kicking the habit when she joined the Alliance, though. Commanding officers and platoon leaders were quick to reprimand her for the occasional sneak-n-smoke after a day's worth of training; splurging now and then wasn't a sin, right? How long had it been since she last partook, anyway? _Too long. _After a moment of regaining her thoughts, Shepard lit the cigar with a muffled, fiery roar, inhaled deeply and...

"_Smoking is prohibited on any Alliance craft; citing special safety regulations-_"

She gave a loud groan. "Give me a break..."

"_-tobacco is an unsafe air inhalant that can damage oxygen filters and electronic devices. It is also considered harmful on the human body. Please discard-_"

Second nature, her balled up fist and jerking motion; she slammed it on the pop-up screen that initiated manual systems. The VI's voice went muted.

"Shut. **Up**."

Acrid smoke drifted above her in hazy, yet whimsical trails; flavorful exhales brought out the smell of burning spice. In the shadows of the MAKO's interior, Shepard's droopy cigar hung loosely between her lips; casual sips of the tobacco lit its orange end, the ember itself resembled a lazy eye within the silhouette of her hunched frame. Within seconds, her body gave in to the nicotine high, a dragging sensation that made her feel like she was melding with the polyester cushion of her chair. Smoke blurred most of her face, stung the eyes, but did its job of numbing senses. If only it worked on the buzzing that prickled her skull...

It was easy to say she was alone when in fact it was much easier to _be_ alone.

The quiet hum of the engines brought on a lulling effect. She reclined back in her seat, one boot propped up on the driving console with arms tucked lazily behind her head. Although her posture hinted at lax demeanor, an internal struggle stitched a jagged frown across her cinched mouth.

Half the crew stayed behind on the Citadel for a much needed shore leave. Shepard saw no reason to deny them, even with the Normandy in working order.

Alenko left with them, claiming that he wanted to contact family and speak with Councilor Anderson (likely about the death of Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams).

Wrex requested his pay before abruptly demanding he be dropped off on Tuchunka (something about restarting 'leadership', she wished him luck – his planet was a hell hole).

Garrus left early on for Specter training at the Citadel (drunken nature prevented her from remembering the night before his leave, and for some reason, she wasn't at peace with his decision).

Liara promised to stay "until the end" of the Reapers; the asari's persistent nature was admirable, even if it perplexed her to the point of a painful headache (all asari gave her a headache, to be honest).

Now they were on their way to the quarian Flotilla so Tali could complete her Pilgrimage (there might be implications to giving her that geth module containing significant history on the AI, but to hell with politics).

Shepard adjusted quickly to absence, she always did in physical situations- but emotional?

She'd miss them, one in particular. He was no longer posted outside the MAKO running weapons diagnostics on its systems, or getting into "arguments" with Wrex- god damn that turian.

Reasoning with herself brought on complexities of the brain; she failed at understanding her own motives for that matter. In times like this, maybe it was better to keep quiet – if she risked stepping outside her bubble of solitude, the inferences may very well come back to haunt her. After all, she figured inter-species dating, although looked down upon if it didn't involve an asari, was a subject most turians (or humans) wouldn't touch. _Who has time for that shit, anyway? _Still, that rueful frown sank deeper, much like the growing pit in her stomach.

Garrus was out where he wanted to be, she'd feign joy for him instead of mourning a 'love that could never be.' Maybe it wasn't even love. Admiration and infatuation sometimes wore the same badge. Besides, how the hell would they even have sex? Turian anatomy had been covered during N-training, but did anyone ever pay attention to those classes?

Shepard reached the point of disregarding that particular thought; stow it away, let it gather dust, maybe it'd eventually rot in the depths of her whacked out brain. The Cipher played a number on her cognitive abilities – they came in sporadic bursts now, making her far more unpredictable than before.

_Well, what's done is done._ If she convinced herself this, maybe it'd be true. There were bigger things to worry about now than paramour garbage. Shepard plucked the cigar from her mouth, tapped its ash on in an empty coffee cup (she disappeared to the MAKO this morning after finishing up the rest of her repair logs) and thought about a quick snooze-

"Oh, kee'lah! A fire?" A high-pitched voice squeaked outside the MAKO's door. _Why did I leave it open?_

The bubbly quarian had been taught at a very young age to notice electrical fires no matter how small; they were prominent on bigger ships due to old equipment they purchased for their Fleet – like gypsies, they made use of what they could- and a potential fire was something that'd jeopardize _everyone_. No different on the Normandy, the little spits of smoke that dribbled out of the MAKO generated a wave of worry and anger.

"Damn him, damn him! That bosh'tet! I told him to replace that cooling unit!" Tali glowered as she yanked up the closest extinguisher; of course she was referring to Garrus, who, whether he admitted it or not (likely not) took too many short cuts for her liking. He was a decent technician, but when under pressure and time, he slipped by certain protocols – the cooling unit probably overheated _again_.

Before Shepard could put out her cigar and … well, hide, Tali clomped up the stairs, burst in dramatically, and began spraying the canister wildly. A foamy blue liquid sputtered from the extinguisher's nozzle, dousing just about everything in its path. Shepard included.

"Wait a second- holy shit! Tali! Stop, it's me! The hell are you doing?" Cold foam splattered across her face and knocked the cigar right out of her mouth with a tiny ember explosion.

"Sh—Shepard? Oh... oh, no! I didn't mean- ah... I thought... … a fire, ah..." Tali released the lever slowly, and even though her face sat behind a purple mask, Shepard could visibly tell those glowing eyes were trying to escape her skull.

"I'm sorry. I-I had no idea you were in here- … are you alright?"

"Just... lower the damn thing. I'm … fine. Cold, but fine." Shepard gurgled lowly while wiping away the drippy substance with an oily rag; it'd eventually harden and turn into a residual powder- but holy fuck did it buuuurn... ruined her god damn high, too.

"Ah- ahm... good! I'll just... set this … here." She fumbled with the red canister to the floor before nervously wringing out her gloved hands. "What was burning? I was walking by and saw smoke. Putting it out was my first reaction..." Tali had a sneaking suspicion she was interrupting something, but curious nature made her probe for answers. Admittedly, it was somewhat amusing to watch the Commander rub vigorously at her face while muttering low curses. "I mean... well, my suit sensors detect traces of a foreign chemical in the air. Now that I'm closer, I don't think it's a cooling unit close to frying up."

Shepard hesitated; lips pursed unnaturally – fingers groped at the cemented textures of bright red hair as they took on the form of miniature spikes. In reality, the stuff wasn't exactly caustic, but the cold compression left red blotches all across her face and neck. The idea of shooing her quarian friend off bumbled around clumsily-

"I was smoking." Her answer was wrung free of guilt, although trapped emotion wedged itself between gritted teeth and an icy expression. Tali's unresponsive blink went noted as confusion. "-tobacco. It's a stimulant for the nervous system. Kinda helps... relax ya. Pretty addictive, though."

"Aaah... well, that makes sense. Sort of. Why … smoke it if it's addictive? Are there negative side effects?" Tali's naivety was endearing, if not painfully so...

Shepard twisted out a dark grin. "Yeah..." _Cancer._ "But we won't get into that. Aside from fire chasing, you need somethin'?" As she mumbled, clammy hands dipped down past her knees in search of the fallen cigar. It cost her quite a credit on the Citadel, god damn batarian bum overpriced everything when it came to humans.

"No... not really." Her oddly long fingers curled together; purple vision fluctuated at the foamy mess that, within minutes, transformed into a powdery white dust. No damage to the MAKO's newly polished insides, at least.

"Are you... sure you're alright? You seem distracted." She'd not speak what was actually on her mind; the Commander was an enigma, and it certainly changed her opinion on humans overall. Not all were like her, she knew that, but she wasn't used to this state of independence, let alone chosen solitude. When she had a problem, she relied on family the most. Shepard had... no one, really.

The human's pause noted unmistakable confusion; shoulders stooped again while her spine hardened. Her wet cigar fell under her foot, and after retrieving it, Shepard lingered with her back to the quarian. Did she owe her any answers? Tali proved to be loyal and an amazing hacker, but sharing her personal ongoings wasn't something she did. With anyone.

"I uh- I'm fine. Just came in here to get away. People know where my cabin is, so I can't hide there..."

"Why would you hide?"

Another awkward pause; she bit the side of her tongue to keep its razor edge at bay.

"Does it really matter?"

"Well, yes. Why else would I ask?"

_Touche, Tali. _

She glanced at the quarian's purple-lit helmet; a gentle glow, even if her eyes were incredibly bizarre. What made them illuminate?

"Sometimes you gotta hide, ya know? From... others. From yourself. Even if it's just for awhile-"

"That doesn't make sense, Commander. Is it truly possible to hide from yourself?"

God damnit. She didn't want a lecture. Mouth transfixed into a solid frown as her brows dipped in frustration. Tali, being the curious, innocent alien that she was (or so she portrayed herself as) didn't realize this was a cue for her to shut her mouth.

"-look. It's hard to explain. In here, you can escape-"

"From your emotions?"

Shepard hadn't anticipated that, at all. Her mouth fell agape, lower lip twitched at the corner. It can't be that obvious.

"I didn't say that."

"No. I did."

"... Right. But that isn't why I'm hiding."

"If I may be so bold," hands neatly folded across her stomach; Tali shifted confidently. "-you are hiding from 'yourself' because you miss him. Is that normal for humans? Among my people, we talk our problems and even our feelings out, in groups or individually. If we don't, it leads to a lot of troubles that could have been easily corrected in the beginning."

_Him? _The driver's seat creaked again; Shepard slowly pivoted in it to face the technician – shoulders drooped, but her posture was caught beneath fleeting palms that dug just above her knees.

"Tali..."

"Commander... it's alright. Your... 'secret' is safe with me. You know though, you almost _died_ on the Citadel. We all thought you- were..." Hesitance, she struggled back the memory of their turian comrade's sunken defeat. That wasn't to say he didn't try looking for her, but they assumed the worst when pieces of Sovereign came crashing in. His behavior was the final clue that Tali needed; a primitive yearning, however odd their union would be, a human and a turian...

"A-aha..." Nervous chuckling, Shepard snapped her spine and leaned back; clearly acting oblivious, Tali thought (she knew that much from observing Engineer Pressly). She wanted to keep her emotions in check, and for reasons she couldn't quite understand besides embarrassment. There was nothing … wrong with it, judgment was reserved. "You're pullin' my leg..."

"No, I'm not. My hands are right here." Tali wiggled all six digits at the human, which somehow made her glare rigidly. Well... she wasn't pulling any legs or arms here, what was the big deal?

"I don't want to talk about it, alright?"

Convoluted silence again.

"Alright, I understand." Did she really? "All I want to say is that I consider you a friend, Shepard. You have helped me in so many ways on this mission... I will never forget it, or your leadership. I don't think _he_ will, either." With that, she carefully ducked beneath a protruding monitor.

Shepard said nothing- she couldn't. Eyes tracked her timid movement; the strange confrontation was rather out of character for her, there had to be a cause. Was it because she was leaving? Had Garrus said something to her? That little quarian wiped away any smug retort she was capable of producing. Completely powerless. If it was obvious by Tali-

"-but... Commander," she stopped abruptly at the door and turned back.

"What, Tali?" Pathetic; she garbled lowly.

"My advice, should you want it, is to not wait around next time. … Assuming there _is_ a next time. You might be surprised."

_The hell does that mean?_ And right as she went to inquiry further, the quarian was gone in a bouncy hop that descended past the MAKO's steps. Shepard, alone again, stewed in her own thoughts – a poisonous concoction when it didn't include gunfire. A wet plop broke the silence; she crumpled the cigar and dropped it in that dented coffee cup.

* * *

"Commander! You gonna stare at that door all day?"

"Huh?

Mess Sergeant Gardner reeled her back in over a steaming pot of... something (smelled like boiled shoelaces). Two years had slipped by through an unconscious eye; she died, was resurrected and now under the thumb of Cerberus. What else has changed?

Not how she felt, apparently.

"Uh... sorry, I was uh-" Her goal had been simple; talk to Garrus about their last mission (she had a bad feeling about recruiting a psychotic biotic) and maybe grab a meal afterward. Shepard wasn't sure what possessed her to stop at the Battery's closed doors, but apparently she did, and the willful brain slipped deep within the recessions of her mind. What triggered it, she couldn't say, but Tali had been right. There was a next time-

"Daydreamin' is what it looks like. How 'bout you try sum'o'my famous salarian meatloaf. Aw, don't gimme that look! It ain't real salarian..."

"No... no thanks." Her stomach lurched in her throat. "I uh... gotta talk to Vakarian." It was now or never. _Will you regret this?_

"Bah!"

Her steps were hurried, but they almost faltered when the automatic doors slid open. There he was, calibrating the Thanix cannons no doubt. Did he ever leave the dull glow and humming of engines?

"Shepard, need me for something?" He didn't even bother to turn and greet her, cocky bastard, although it did give her the impression he was expecting her. Who else paid him daily visits?

"... Yes. As a matter of fact, I do, Garrus."

* * *

**That's it, so far! Thanks for all the reviews and reads, guys :) If you have a scene idea involving the MAKO, shoot it my way, wouldn't mind a few more chapters for this story, if possible.**


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